


Something Broken, Nothing Gained

by taigae



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, F/F, I simply do not buy that this was a familial relationship, Light Bondage, Metalbending & Metalbenders, all respect to the writers but: no (heart emoji)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:14:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,031
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27675233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/taigae/pseuds/taigae
Summary: Kuvira's angry that Su won't step in to lead the Earth Kingdom, and their argument gets a little out of hand; Set between Book 3 and Book 4
Relationships: Suyin Beifong/Kuvira
Comments: 9
Kudos: 51





	Something Broken, Nothing Gained

“I’m not having this fight with you.” Su unclips her belt and drops it unceremoniously onto a nearby bench. The loud clang echoes through the empty gym — rehearsal is over and the rest of the company is long gone; they’re the only ones left.

“So that’s it?” Kuvira asks, incredulous. “The only people deserving of safety are those fortunate enough to have found themselves under your benevolent wing?” She hears the childish bite in her own voice, and it only frustrates her more.

Su rolls her eyes. “Don’t be so dramatic. They’ll find someone else.”

“There is no one else, Su.” Kuvira feels her temper flash. “And you know it.”

“And what would you have me do?” Su asks, crossing her arms, irritation beginning to creep into her voice. “We have always been too diverse a nation to be governed according to the whims of a single person. I won’t abandon my home just to race around the kingdom in a desperate attempt to uphold a system that’s doomed to fail. It’s a fool’s errand, and frankly Tenzin and Raiko should have known better than to ask.” She tosses her head dismissively, turning away as she begins to unwrap the bandages from her forearms. “Besides, I’m only really surprised that it took us this long to reach the breaking point.”

“Unbelievable,” Kuvira scoffs, unable to quell the rising ugliness in her that itches for a fight and can’t help but take things a step too far, always. “You’re _afraid_ , aren’t you?” She steps forward, knowing already that it’s a bad idea. 

“You know I’m right, and you’re too selfish to do anything about it. You’d rather abdicate responsibility and stay right here, safe in your perfect city. Never mind the people starving just beyond our own gates.” Su doesn’t reply, but Kuvira can tell she’s struck a nerve by the way her shoulders tense.

She could walk away, right now. She knows that if she simply turns around and walks into the cool evening, they will never, ever speak of this again. But something in her is sick of appeasement; sick of the way they’ve been circling each other for years, speaking only in half-truths and silences. And she’s never really known when to quit.

“Look at me,” Kuvira demands, taking another step closer. It infuriates her, that even after everything they’ve been through, Su still won’t grant her the courtesy of an honest conversation. “Su, please.” She’s embarrassed by the desperation in her voice. Still, she doesn't turn. 

Her embarrassment turns to rage. “Coward,” she spits, reaching forward to grasp Su's arm.

“ _Enough_ , Kuvira.” Su throws a hand up, and Kuvira grunts as her arms are pinned to her sides and her wrists are wrenched behind her back. The breath is knocked out of her as she hits the mat, drawn down to her knees by her own cables. Su makes a fist, and the loops snap tight.

It's deeply unnatural, the feeling of metal fighting against her. She panics for a moment, stretching her will, struggling to find purchase — any opening or vulnerability from which to wrest back control of the cables — but it’s no use. At every turn, she feels only Su. Her precision. Her power. 

When she looks up again, Su has finally turned to face her. Her eyes are narrowed in fury, elegant features drawn into a snarl. She's beautiful. Kuvira’s mouth goes dry, and she feels a dangerous heat stir low in her belly. 

Su’s melodic voice cuts through the space, low and seething as she stalks forward. “Of all the juvenile, arrogant—” 

She stops short, and makes a slight motion with her fingers. The cables around Kuvira's midsection twitch, and she gasps at the constricting pressure. She feels a sharp throb of heat between her legs, and a flush burns high across her cheekbones. She catches her breath, and then drops her head and chuckles. Here, then, is the famous Beifong temper, hidden for so long beneath Su's many layers of cultured, privileged civility.

Su hisses at her insolence, and draws her hand back in another forceful gesture; Kuvira grits her teeth and arches back as her wrists are tugged low. It’s too much — the burn in her shoulders and the pitch of her neck and the throbbing ache between her legs and way she knows that she has always, _always_ wanted this. A moan slips from her lips.

She freezes, closing her eyes, searching desperately for any last shred of dignity to cling to, but it’s too late. Her body has betrayed her, her arousal unmistakable. She makes a split-second decision, and with all the pride she has left, draws her head up and locks eyes with Su. They're both breathing heavily, and the moment stretches taut between them. 

Su cocks her head, and Kuvira is sure, then, that she’s made a mistake. She lets her head fall and tries to fight the onset of hot, embarrassed tears. 

Suddenly, she feels a hand under her jaw. Su tilts her head up roughly, so that she’s forced to meet her gaze, and Kuvira’s breath catches at the hungry, possessive _want_ in her eyes.

But there's something questioning there, too, something unsure shifting beneath Su's anger and desire. Kuvira knows, then, that no matter how this ends, she's won. She smirks, still blinking away tears, and raises a brow in challenge.

Su’s eyes widen in realization, and then narrow again in anger. Her jaw clenches as she pulls her hand away. “This conversation,” she hisses, “is over.” All at once the cables loosen and fall away as she turns on her heel and walks away. 

Kuvira gasps as she’s released, falling to all fours. Her senses immediately reach out to grasp at the cables. They come easily now, responding as naturally as her own limbs, and she quickly retracts them back into her belt. She stays there until she hears the thud of the large gym door and knows that Su has gone.

Something has just fractured between them: she knows it as sure as she knows the earth under her feet. But she also thinks, maybe, that something new has just fallen into place. 

**Author's Note:**

> been rewatching korra and I am once again absolutely fascinated by whatever the fuck it is that was going on between these two


End file.
